Ruthless Secrets (Elites of Macedon High 2)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Alex

Grunts and pleas for mercy echo from below as I rest my hand upon the loft’s railing. Four boys circle a lanky kid on one of the dried-up docks, dishing out a harsh blow to the kid’s stomach. One particularly nasty hit bends the kid forward with a sickening grunt that makes it sound like he’s about to hurl.

A blond boy looks up at me and raises his beer. I nod for him to continue, quietly observing the punishment without showing any signs of emotion.

His cousin should have known what I could do, I thought. But Marty will understand plenty for Mr. Everett.

“Harsh,” Soren comments while leaning against the rail. “But fair.”

“It’s one way to get back at the asshole from the gas station.”

He hums. “And after he’s beaten bloody without being able to fight back?”

“He’ll be dumped at his cousin’s house,” I smirk without breaking my gaze on the activity below. “I wonder how that head wound is doing?”

Marty is beaten until he can’t stand. Blood pours from his nose and lips, head lolling as two of the boys catch him before he crumples to the ground. I raise my drink and dump a sip of it out, my signal for them to stop.

As soon as Marty is carted away, I observe the rest of the party, noticing how people frequently peek up toward the upper left-hand loft. This is part of my kingdom now. In the past, I was hesitant to come here, wary of being caught in the web made by the alpha boys. But now, it feels like I’m an irreplaceable part of them.

And I can do just about anything I want.

Soren snorts and spits over the railing. “You almost had him killed.”

“That would have been in poor taste.”

“You’re right.”

A small smile dances over my lips at the prospect of Soren not being angry at me. But I’m not a fool. I know he’s still fuming a good bit over me going to Scow Landing without him. Though I want his approval, I don’t verbally seek it, hoping my actions earn his blessing.

Once the kid is removed from the dock, the party resumes, all the kids below sampling drugs and drinking quality liquor directly from the bottles. Tabitha and John are among the most elite of those in the lofts underneath as well as Demetra and Evelyn. I spot Melissa and Jolie, smiling warmly when they wave excitedly up at me.

Seems my newly earned queendom has perks, regardless of how much blood it cost to get here.

Evelyn shoves a boy away from her, catching my attention. My vision tunnels as I see just how pushy he’s getting with her—and no one around her is doing anything. A quick hand signal to Tomas sends him right into the issue with his fist leading the way, landing right in the guy’s solar plexus. I feel the air leave his lungs and smile when he practically hits the ground.

“Nobody touches my friend,” I say over the rail. “Anyone who tries gets punched. Clear?”

Cheers echo from several drunk kids. Another hand signal encourages Tomas to lead Evelyn to the stairs that ascend to our loft. She rises to meet us, smiling gratefully when I motion for her to get a drink for our personal table.

“Promise me you’ll protect her,” I tell Soren and Tomas. “Please?”

The boys exchange a look, shrug, and reply, “Sure.”

Explaining why wouldn’t do any good. My word is enough to protect her, so I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe. She’s one of my few allies—and my half sister. Coach Neill is the only one alive who is aware of that information. Telling the world would mean putting Evelyn’s life at risk.

“Alex?”

I raise my eyebrows while turning to observe Demetra. My smile is genuine when I reach for her hands, feeling the comfort in her palms. “You having fun?”

“I’m heading out.”

“It’s not even seven,” I tease. “You want to get a head start on studying?”

She shrugs. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Why don’t you stay another hour? Have a drink with me.” I start tugging her to the drink table, but she digs her heels into the ground, resisting me. “Demetra?”